Our Student Ministry seeks to help our students understand how God deeply desires them and that they are called to serve and show His love to others. We strive to be a safe place where students learn to reach up and connect to God and live for him, being truly transformed by His love. Our of that love, becoming disciples and learning how to serve the community as a whole and the world. Through our weekly services and annual events, we focus on 4 major things:

1. Reach up: To allow students to have time to worship and seeking, while responding to the deep love of God.

2. Reach in: To be transformed by God and rooted in His plans for their lives.

3. Reach out: To witness of what God has done. Serving others in order to point them back up to God.

4. Reaching Forward: To learn to go out and share your faith, and to start to grab the hard questions of life through Biblical perspectives.

Youth Group

Wednesday nights from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

In Hatton Center Room:

Grades 7-12.The students will begin the evening often in the gym by playing a game. This is a great time to build friendships and community as a group. We switch the games up weekly but some of our favorites are; four-way traffic jam, seat swap, poison chair, and toilet paper dodgeball. After the game we move up to the youth room where we have a service. Service often include: worship, teaching, and life group breakout times. At the end of the night we always encourage our students to come back for Life Group on Sunday mornings. By doing this, they have a chance to dig into the topic that was discussed on Wednesday night a little deeper.

Life Groups

Sunday Mornings from 11:15am to Noon

In Hatton Center Room:

Grades 7-12

Life groups are divided by grades. For example, 7-8th grade, 9-10th grade, and 11-12th grade. During this time, we have a chance to dig deeper in the topic we discussed the past Wednesday. The groups are led by background checked leaders. They are there to facilitate the discussion and help them understand how to apply the topic to their life on a daily basis.

This is the second part of our teaching, if your student only goes on Wednesday they are missing half of the lesson.

Teen Camp

Grades: 7-12

Teen Camp is an annual event not to be missed. Teens can enjoy a week-long getaway where they can make new friends, play wacky games, go to worship services, workshops, and more. This is an amazing time for students to get away from their normal life. Often when students are at camp they have a chance to have an amazing encounter with God. Camp is held at Lake Williamson in Carlinville, IL.

Celebrate Life

Grades: 7-12

We have a lot of gifted teens, and Celebrate Life is an opportunity for them to use their gifts to glorify God. Whether it’s music, art, quizzing, or sports, Celebrate Life has something for everyone! Teens first compete on a district level (which is with other youth groups around Northwest Illinois) every January at Pekin First Church of the Nazarene in Pekin, IL. Then the students have an opportunity to advance to the regional competition (which is other districts from WI, IL, MI, IN) in the spring at Olivet Nazarene University.